By Margaret Failoni
One of the present day’s foremost landscape artists, Ian Johnson, presents us with a series of new creations ever faithful to his contemporary interpretation of landscape art—certainly not your run-of-the-mill landscapes. Working widely across the realms of painting, sculpture, and installation, this English-born artist always surprises with a futuristic vision or, better yet, a sensation of what a landscape is. On one small wall piece, he creates playful alterations, a supertext and subtext of what the viewer sees. One particular large wall piece in subtle nuances of different grays immediately reminded me of the downtown Chicago skyline reflecting onto the lake below. The work seems to dissolve into the surrounding white space, treading a balance between presence and mirage while the image appears to slowly fade into the night. Immediately opposite, we see a bright, colorful version of the same wall installation, and therefore, we realize the not-so-obvious title of the exhibition.
Not far from my Chicago vision is a rock formation sculpture mysteriously held together and balanced on a glass surface—indicative of a nearby landscape, perhaps a park?
Born in England, Johnson enjoyed a successful career in London before moving to Mexico, where he now lives and works. While some of his work continues to be sent to England, meeting the requests of former galleries and collectors, his oeuvre is now widely collected in some of the most sophisticated collections of Mexico City and Monterrey. The artist’s work is now receiving accolades and new collectors in the United States, mostly on the West Coast.
Johnson is now working on a new exhibition to be featured in Mexico City in the near future. Having caught a glimpse of it, I can say it’s a slightly more romantic interpretation of nature, yet highly introspective and mysterious. I predict that Ian Johnson’s art is a definite must to be followed.
Cocktail Opening
“Equinox”
Sat, Oct 29, 5-8pm
Galeria Intersección
Fabrica La Aurora
Free admission
